Sanskrit edit

Alternative scripts edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Dravidian, ultimately from Proto-Dravidian *kaṭu (be pungent; sting).[1][2] Compare Old Tamil 𑀓𑀝𑀼 (kaṭu).

Sanskrit grammarians tied it to the root कृत् (kṛt, to cut) but this is not accepted in modern scholarship. Compare Kamkata-viri kařó, këřó.

Pronunciation edit

Adjective edit

कटु (kaṭú) stem

  1. bitter, acrid

Descendants edit

  • Maharastri Prakrit: 𑀓𑀟𑀼 (kaḍu)
  • Sanskrit: कटुक (káṭuka) (+ Middle Indo-Aryan -𑀓- (-ka-))

References edit

  1. ^ Southworth, Franklin (2005) Linguistic Archaeology of South Asia, Routledge, →ISBN, page 72
  2. ^ Burrow, T., Emeneau, M. B. (1984) “kaṭu”, in A Dravidian etymological dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 1135.

Further reading edit